The Happy Prince
English Workshop
1. Say whether these sentences are true or false and correct the false ones.
(a) The writer of the story is William Blake.
Answer: False – The writer of the story is Oscar Wilde, not William Blake.
(b) Everyone admired the statue of the Happy Prince.
Answer: True – Everyone admired the statue of the Happy Prince.
(c) The mother was working, when the Swallow brought the yellow jewel.
Answer: False – The mother was asleep, not working, when the Swallow brought the yellow jewel.
(d) The two best things the servants brought to God were gold and jewel stones.
Answer: False – The two best things the servants brought to God were the dead bird and the broken heart of the Happy Prince, not gold and jewels.
2. Find from the story the Homophones of the following words
(Words that sound the same, but differ in spellings and meanings.)
Answer:
(a) weak – week (e.g., “He stayed behind for six weeks.”)
(b) their – there (e.g., “A little girl is standing there in the square below.”)
(c) blew – blue (e.g., “Its eyes were bright blue jewels.”)
(d) sea – see (e.g., “I can see all the unhappiness of my city.”)
(e) read – reed (not explicitly in the story, but a common homophone pair; “read” appears as “Someone likes my stories!”)
(f) waste – waist (e.g., “A red jewel hung from its waist.”)
(g) know – no (e.g., “I did not know what tears were.”)
(h) knot – not (e.g., “There is not a cloud in the sky.”)
(i) threw – through (e.g., “Through an open window, I can see a woman.”)
(j) right – write (e.g., “I must write that down!”)
3. Answer the given questions in your own words
(a) Where was the Happy Prince’s statue located?
Answer: The Happy Prince’s statue was located high above the city, standing tall so that it could overlook everything below.
(b) Why did the swallow decide to stay under the statue of the Happy Prince at night?
Answer: The Swallow decided to stay under the statue because it was high up, offering plenty of fresh air, and he thought it would be a good place to rest, calling it a “golden bedroom.”
(c) Why was the Prince sad?
Answer:The Prince was sad because, after his death, he could see all the suffering and unhappiness in the city from his high position, which he hadn’t noticed when he was alive and living in a sheltered palace.
(d) What was the first task given to the Swallow?
Answer: The first task given to the Swallow was to take the red jewel from the Prince’s waist and deliver it to a poor woman whose son was ill, so she could use it to help her family.
(e) To whom did the Prince gift the two gemstones of his eyes?
Answer: The Prince gifted one gemstone eye to a young writer who was cold and hungry, and the other to a little girl whose eggs had broken, leaving her with no money.
(f) What decision did the Swallow finally make? Was it a wise one? Comment.
Answer: The Swallow decided to stay with the Prince instead of flying to Egypt. This could be seen as unwise because it led to his death in the cold, but it was also noble because he chose to help the Prince and the poor people, showing compassion over self-preservation.
(g) Why did the Swallow finally decide not to leave the Prince ?
Answer: The Swallow decided not to leave because the Prince had become blind after giving away both his eyes, and the Swallow felt too much love and pity to abandon him in that state.
(h) What message do you get from this story?
Answer: The story teaches that true happiness comes from selflessness and helping others, even at a personal cost. It shows the value of compassion and sacrifice over material wealth or personal comfort.
4. Infinitives, Participles, Gerunds
(a) Infinitives
In the sentences ‘I have to study’ and ‘ I must study’, ‘study’ is in the infinitive form, because it does not take -s, -es or -ed after it even if the number or person of the Subject changes.
Infinitives are generally preceded by ‘to’ or sometimes by a modal auxiliary
(b) Participles In the sentences ‘She dived into the swimming pool’ and ‘The writing table is in a mess’ ‘Swimming’ and ‘writing’ are in the verb + ing form and function as Adjectives. These are Present Participles. In the sentences, ‘The police recovered the stolen jewels’ and ‘He bandaged his bruised arm’, stolen and bruised are in the verb + en / ed form and function as
Adjectives.
(c) Gerunds
In the sentences, ‘I love swimming’ and ‘Reading is a good habit’, the verb + ing form fuction as Nouns (as the Subject or Object). These are called Verbal Nouns or Gerunds.
- Say whether the underlined are Infinitives / Participles (Present or Past) /
Gerunds.
Answer:
(1) I wish to go to Egypt. – Infinitive (preceded by “to”).
(2) They liked his written stories. – Past Participle (functions as an adjective describing “stories”).
(3) He is trying to finish a story. – Infinitive (preceded by “to”).
(4) Suffering is stranger than anything. – Gerund (functions as a noun, the subject of the sentence).
(5) The dying swallow fell at his feet. – Present Participle (functions as an adjective describing “swallow”).
(6) He began to cry. – Infinitive (preceded by “to”).
(7) He watched the working seamen. – Present Participle (functions as an adjective describing “seamen”).
5. Write the following dialogues from the story in the Indirect Speech.
(a) ‘Who are you?’ asked the bird. ‘I am the Happy Prince.’
‘Then why are you crying? I am wet with your tears.’
Answer: The bird asked who he was, and the Happy Prince replied that he was the Happy Prince. The bird then asked why he was crying, adding that he was wet with his tears.
(b) The Happy Prince looked very sad, and the little Swallow was sorry for
him. ‘It is very cold here,’ he said ‘but I will stay with you for one
night. Tomorrow I will take the jewel.’
‘Thank you, little bird,’ said the prince.
Answer: He said that it was very cold there but that he would stay with him for one night and take the jewel the next day. The prince thanked the little bird.
(c) ‘Little bird, little bird,’ said the prince, ‘please will you stay with me for one more night?’
‘My friends are waiting for me,’ answered the bird.
Answer: The prince asked the little bird if he would please stay with him for one more night. The bird replied that his friends were waiting for him.
(d) Under a bridge, two little boys were lying close together to keep warm.
‘We are so hungry!’ they said. ‘You cannot lie there!’ shouted a guard.
Answer: They said that they were so hungry. The guard shouted that they could not lie there.
(e) ‘Goodbye, dear prince!’ he said.
‘I am glad that you are going to Egypt,’ said the prince. ‘You have stayed too long.‘I am not going to Egypt,’ said the Swallow. ‘I am going to the House of God’
Answer: He said goodbye to the dear prince. The prince said that he was glad he was going to Egypt. The Swallow replied that he was not going to Egypt but to the House of God.
6. Divide the story into parts. Make 4 groups in your class. Each group should take one of the 4 parts to convert the story into a play and enact your part.
Answer:
Part 1: The introduction of the Happy Prince’s statue and the Swallow’s arrival, ending with the Prince explaining his sadness and asking the Swallow to take the red jewel to the poor mother.
Part 2: The Swallow delivering the red jewel, then the Prince asking for his first eye to be given to the young writer, ending with the writer receiving it.
Part 3: The Prince giving his second eye to the little girl, the Swallow deciding to stay, and then distributing the gold to the poor, ending with the snow arriving.
Part 4: The Swallow’s death, the Prince’s heart breaking, the statue being torn down, and the final scene where God receives the heart and the bird.
7. If you could change the end of the story i.e. after the Swallow refused to fly to Egypt, how would you change it? Summarise your idea in 10 to 12 lines.
Answer:
After the Swallow refuses to fly to Egypt, I would change the ending so that the Prince’s kindness inspires the people of the city. Instead of dying, the Swallow survives the winter by finding shelter with a kind family who saw him helping the poor. The family spreads the word about the Prince’s sacrifices, and the townspeople come together to repair the statue, replacing its gold and jewels with their own contributions. The Prince, though still blind and metal-hearted, feels joy knowing the city has changed. The Swallow returns in spring, bringing warmth and hope, and decides to stay as the Prince’s companion. The story ends with the city thriving, no longer full of suffering, as the people learn to care for one another, proving that the Prince’s and Swallow’s efforts were not in vain.
8. Think of one of your favourite stories. Fill in the following facts about the story
• Name of the story: ………………………………………………………………………..
• Type of story: ………………………………………………………………………..
• Setting (time and place): ………………………………………………………………………..
• Important characters: ………………………………………………………………………..
• Theme / Plot: ………………………………………………………………………..
• Conflict / Dilemma: ………………………………………………………………………..
• Solution: ………………………………………………………………………..
• End: ………………………………………………………………………..
Answer:
- Name of the story: The Lion King
- Type of story: Fable
- Setting (time and place): Ancient Africa, in the Pride Lands
- Important characters: Simba, Mufasa, Scar, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa
- Theme / Plot: A young lion prince must reclaim his throne after his uncle kills his father and exiles him.
- Conflict / Dilemma: Simba struggles with guilt and responsibility after running away from his past.
- Solution: Simba returns with the help of friends to defeat Scar and take his rightful place as king.
- End: Simba becomes king, restores peace, and starts a family, continuing the circle of life.
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